| The Golden Gate of Prayer |
Chapter 11 |
Page 3 |
The form of the prayer teaches the lesson of unselfishness. It is not “Give me” but “Give us.” We cannot come to God for ourself alone. We must ask bread of others, for all — even for our enemies, if we have enemies. Especially must we think of the needy, the destitute, asking God to give them bread. If we are sincere we must be ready also, so far as we have opportunity and so far as we are able, to help to answer our own prayer for others by sharing our plenty with those who lack. ‘Whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him?”
One of the most beautiful commentaries on this teaching is in the account of the way the people of the first church lived together. After the day of Pentecost, in the glow of the new-born love of the disciples, those who had abundance gave to those who were poor, so that none lacked. Only thus can any follower of Christ carry out the teaching of the Master. We must be ready to share our bread with our brother who lacks.
”Bow thy head and pray
That while thy brother starves to-day
Thou mayest not eat thy bread at ease;
Pray that no health or wealth or peace
May lull thy soul while the world lies
Suffering, and claims thy sacrifice.”
There is a limitation in this petition. “Give us this day our daily bread.” In the other form of the prayer, in Luke, the words vary somewhat, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” In Matthew it is a prayer only for the one day, with no thought of to-morrow; in Luke it takes in other days, but only as they come, one day at a time. In both forms we are taught to pray for only the bread of one day. There is a deep lesson in this teaching. Life is not given to us by the year or the month, but by single days. Night is the horizon which bounds our vision; we see not the morrow, and we are to confine our thought to the little space included between the rising and the setting of the sun. This does not forbid forethought — the Bible encourages wise and proper care for the future. But all we are authorized to ask God to give us at any time is simply enough for the present day. Even if in the evening our last crust be eaten and there be nothing in store for to-morrow, we need not be afraid, nor think that God has forgotten. When the morrow comes we may ask for the morrow’s own bread and know that God will hear us and answer our prayer in the right way.
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